Want a BSA Bantam suit rebuild

[DR]

A little outside the square for me but I'm on the hunt for a beeza bantam suit rebuild. I don't mind what model, 3 or 4 speed, rigid or plunger. Any basketcase, partial or complete bikes considered. Cheers

[LWC82PE]

Be prepared to be shocked at the prices these demand now. They are no longer traded for a 6 pack of beer. Bantams now have a cult following and highly collectable and sought after and people spend just as much on restos on these as any other biks. It just goes to show that a bike doesnt have to be much for that to happen and theres nothing special about them. Im amazed at how quickly Bantam stuff gets snapped up at swapmeets and how many people ask 'have you got any bantam parts'. Any stuff ive have had sells quick. Infact got 2 tanks in getting pannels and pinstripes done as we speak, theres people restoring them all the time. Anyway just warning you because the prices have taken off in recent years.

[jimg1au]

there is a complete 1 2 doors from me and it will sit there and rot.they owner said it was my dads i will keep it

[firko]

At the risk of starting another I Hate Harleys kerfuffle, I love Bantams. If all bikes were this simple, the world would be a happier place .

[DR]

I was bidding on a reasonably complete bike on eBay last week Leith. It sold for about $1400 which I thought too expensive for what it was so I'll keep hunting. Willing to pay a fair price for a fair thing be it complete or basketcase  

[LWC82PE]

Yeah i wouldnt expect anything under $1000, unless it from someone who doesnt really know what they got or just wants to get rid of one. That Blue one looks kinda neat, i would put a front fender on it though. I personally like the late model 175 Bushman. Theres lots of specialist Bantam parts and information sources out there so you wont have any problems in that department.

[zorroz]

I hear they go real hard if you put the internals of a YZ125 inside them or something like that??!!

[TM BILL]

First bike was  Bantam   and if it all turned to shit and i could only keep one bike it would probably be my Bantam  

[firko]

This is "Sydney Ray" Atkins* ex Bill Thomas championship winning Bantam. This bike has all of the bells and whistles and the best way to describe it would be to say it was the Mugen Honda or Noguchi Yamaha of its day. Check out the trick barrel and cool ignition setup
     

*As opposed to "Melbourne Ray" Atkins who races similar era Greeves and Brit 2 strokes.

[Tim754]

I got a pair of (non chrome) wheels/brakes here for early Bantam Doc. Just filed them in the give em to Doc pile for ya. Tim754

[DR]

When I was about 13, me and my older bro owned a total of 3 Bantams but in pieces. We put together 1 bike and got it running. It had a clutch ,gears and throttle but no brakes rode it round and round and round on a large mudflat ala dirt track style and it was a totally gutless heap of shit that wouldn't pull the skin off custard..sadly though, I really miss the heap of shit ..we sold the 3 for $50 I hate hindsight! .anyway, like many others it seems, A Bantam was the 1st full size bike I ever rode I really don't want a swingarm model like a Bushman, not that I don't like them but I really would prefer a plunger to build what I have in mind. I probably should have jumped hard on the fleabay bike I was bidding for it was local but who knows how much above and beyond the winner may have bid..more than I was prepared to at the time obviously

Thanks Timbo! you the man's man!! actually just looking, it probably wouldn't be entirely out of the realms of Doc possibilities that I maybe able to make something, a piece from here and a piece from there. There is a frame and an engine on fleabay at present (though in syd and vic ) and loads of other little bantam dohickeys ,thingamabobs and assorted shat. I'd be happy to go that path also if that's an option

This is the 1 that got away for 1400..it's exactly what I'd like

[firko]

Jeez, so it is Bill....I better remove it before I lose whatever cred I have left...

[jimg1au]

my ags 350 special has plunger front end and hub laced into a 23" rim.i thing i will get this going for the 2011 dirt track nats pre 60/65
not 1 part of this ags350 was made after 1958
jim

[DR]

Jim, AGS ?..plunger front end ? what is that!!..if you mean AJS I'm an extremely jealous shit as you can see I know little of the classics but that in itself is what's drawing me toward them that and the fact I'm obviously growing old and senile

this is the only ags I could find.. I like that too!!

[jimg1au]

doc
my bike was built by my brother from parts of english bikes pre 1958
front end off a plunger bantam ie forks steering head and hub in a 23" rim
back end 1955-58 duplex arial including swing arm and ridiged ariel rear wheel with 8" brake
tank is from a rotrax jap speedway bike
engine is a 1940s 350 ariel built by art senior and last by sid willis
gearbox and clulch is 1958 ariel
frame looks like a slide/speedway bike but isnt.
i also have a gen 1958 ariel duplex frame complete with cz front end and a conical triumph rear wheel.
so ags is my brothers name AG and the S is for special.
all will be built so all i have to do is swap engine and gearbox they use the same engine and gearbog mounts.i have a pic some were of him racing it at nepean in 1971.
jim